


Take My Hand

by RockinT765



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Mastermind AU, dark but also fluffy, mastermind!Byakuya, no junko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 20:16:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7771675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockinT765/pseuds/RockinT765
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Byakuya Togami had a plan. It only had one flaw: Makoto Naegi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take My Hand

**Author's Note:**

> I used the NISA translation, so there are ultimates and I write their names a bit differently. This is an au, for a request.

All eyes were on him.

This wasn’t the first time that they’d looked at him in horror. Even when he was another player, his actions were questionable. He had decided early on that he would not change himself to fit their views on what a victim was. Being good was not black-and-white, and even he, himself, could hardly tell which side he was on anymore.

But, none of that really mattered to Byakuya Togami.

“My grand reveal has only just begun, and you’ve already bored me.”

Byakuya sighed, glancing at the useless morons before him. “I had _almost_ convinced myself that seeing your shocked faces would make these agonizing years worth it.”

He grimaced, leaning his face on one hand, and rotating the other in a circle. “I guess I was wrong.”

Five “individuals” stood before him, standing at their podiums. Byakuya figured that he would hate them if he cared enough. But, he didn’t. Their existence merely irked him–maybe even inconvenienced him, if he paid enough attention to them. They walked around like they _meant_ something, like they weren’t just losers and commoners who would never truly rise above the rest.

Byakuya knew better. He always had.

“Y-You’re the m-mastermind?” his disgusting stalker screeched, voice filled with such despair and confusion that it _almost_ made up for all the times she’d bothered him. At least, made up for everything from the last minute or so, but sadly for her, her whole existence bothered him, and Byakuya wasn’t very forgiving. To forgive was to give in, was to give up. And, Byakuya never quit.

“I thought that I’d already made that _painfully_ obvious,” he said coldly, “I must’ve overestimated you. My _sincerest_ apologies.”

He was sick of these people. He wasn’t their peer; he was their superior. If they hadn’t already proven themselves to be completely incompetent, perhaps they could’ve been of use to him.

Their talents went to waste when they were in the hands of such blundering shells of Ultimates. If it had been up to _him_ , as it should have been, as _everything_ should have been, half of the students in front of him wouldn’t have been accepted to Hope’s Peak at all. Having skills didn’t make them important, especially when their the categories were so mediocre. Fanfiction? Clairvoyance? Useless abilities that had no place in society. If these degenerates were people’s idols, the world was doomed.

Of course, it _had_ been doomed. Not anymore. Byakuya knew that he was the only thing keeping man from reverting to their lives as animals. Nobody had more power, more say, more resources, more _talent_. Byakuya Togami was perfection. And, he knew that even the groups he was fighting for paled in comparison. But, an empty world was a useless world. There could be no productivity if there were no goods to be produced, and no consumers to buy them. The world thrived on materialism.

Byakuya knew better than anyone how little dreams meant. Hope would get him nowhere. Only through fighting, through perseverance, could he accomplish what he wanted to. One of the most valuable skills he’d gained was the ability to crush the wills of those who interferred. Byakuya was cold. Byakuya was ruthless. Byakuya was conniving.

But, he was better than everyone in the world. He was too intelligent to ignore such a blatant fact.

“I suppose that I’ll have to explain everything to you,” he said, indifferent to the current circumstances, and to those around him, “Even though you’ve come this far, you would never be able to put together the pieces without my guidance. You _barely_ managed to get through the trials,” he frowned, “It’s a shame that I’ll have to waste my time spoon-feeding you idiots the most important details, but since you’re all well-aware that this is live, I would like to document the moment that I, Byakuya Togami, made the biggest strides toward a perfect society in your largely pathetic history.”

He would’ve gone on, if one of the fools before him hadn’t interrupted him.

“What do you mean?!” the heedless swimmer shouted, her voice annoying enough that he’d kill her right there if he were a less-balanced man, “How is trapping us here supposed to create a ‘perfect society?’”

Byakuya stood up straighter, slamming his fist against the podium in front of him. “If you had listened, instead of just proving how oblivious and impulsive you are, your stupid questions could have been answered!” he spat, chilling eyes boring into the air-headed girl.

She let her mouth hang open, but otherwise said nothing else, and Byakuya sighed, smoothing his suit. Annoyed that he’d lost his composure, he cleared his throat and continued, “You see, I am far above you all. My life has purpose and meaning. Your lives mean nothing. This is because I am in the one-percent, the top of all society. And, you miserable commoners,” he smiled, his face dark, “...are part of the ninety-nine-percent, where all the boring, regular, unambitious, unimportant people begin, and stay, _until they die_.”

Byakuya paused, reading the faces of those in the room. Most of them looked conflicted, confused, and scared. They were cowards, just as he’d always known. There was nothing “ultimate” about them. They were no better than the nobodies on the streets, or the fake suck-ups he’d encountered all his life, attempting to piggy-back onto his success by praising him, or batting their eyes. Perhaps, he _did_ hate them.

“I had to fight to get to where I am. I earned everything I have. I know _fighting_. I know _hardship_. I know _pain_. But, you are all members of the lowest class, and you have _done_ nothing, and _mean_ nothing. Yet, despite how weak, pathetic, and worthless you all are, you dominate society, trying to inspire others with tales of underdogs, and heros of everyday life, and instilling in everyone the idea that you can do anything if you believe hard enough,” he said, his voice bitter.

Byakuya glared at each of them, channelling all the anger that they’d caused him, that they’d _all_ caused him, his entire life. “So, I came up with a solution. I could simply wipe out all the insignificant wastes-of-resources that dragged others down, that dragged _useful_ people down. They didn’t know the struggle, so I chose to make them struggle. If they truly were valuable, they could rise above, and if they weren’t, mankind would be bettered. Once every last one of those failures is gone, only the pure bloodlines, made up of _actually important_ individuals, will thrive.”

Byakuya Togami closed his eyes, offering his concluding remark, “Only then, can we have a perfect society.”

But, the idiots around him couldn’t just let him have his moment. “Uh, Byakuya? Or should I say mastermind?” the clairvoyant began, “What does that have to do with us? You didn’t explain that, right?” his eyes widened, “I swear that I was totally paying attention! Please don’t kill me!”

Having opened his eyes the second he’d heard his voice, Byakuya was glaring at him, infuriated that they couldn’t just read between the lines. Did he have to explain everything to these morons?

“I was accepted to Hope’s Peak, just as you all _mistakenly_ were. For two years, I put up with you, and put up with teachers who applauded you all for doing nothing with your lives,” Byakuya hissed, “Using my resources, and my gift of persuasion, I gathered a following of people who quickly became obsessed with me, and _therefore_ , my cause. I had them do my bidding, and hundreds were killed. Soon enough, thousands had died. It grew, beyond even what I had anticipated. Despair spread to those who couldn’t rise above, and they succumbed. With their spirits broken, they died easily.”

Byakuya paused, happily recalling the memories. “The Headmaster, in an attempt to protect you all, and the hope you represented, gathered you all at the academy, and you trapped yourselves, in here. But, he’d foolishly already let me in. This just made it all so much easier. I have access to the best scientists, and the best technology, so the next step, erasing your memories, was almost mind-numbingly easy to execute. And then, as you know, plans weren’t the only things to be executed.”

He grinned, almost evilly, at the horrified faces before him. “Oh, and something I almost forgot. Since I _am_ the mastermind, I knew who the killer was at all times. It was impossible to get away with murder, and if it ended up that you were all too incompetent, I just steered you all in the right direction. So really, all your friends had no chance. They died for _nothing_.”

At that, many turned away, looking sick. Their despair was _positively_ perfect. But, Byakuya Togami was not done, yet.

“As you all know, I vowed to kill the mastermind. Sadly, that is no longer a viable option,” he smirked, “I'll have to kill you all, instead. It's _nearly_ a fair trade, even though the worth of all your lives added together could never reach even a quarter of my mine. We’re just on different levels. But, I suppose it'll have to do.”

Byakuya was preparing to press the button, having already set up a very special punishment, when a certain luckster decided to finally chime in.

“Wait!” Makoto shouted, desperation and intensity in his voice.

However, at that, Byakuya merely chuckled. “I was wondering when you’d say something. I’m sure you’ve spent the whole time coming up with one of your _amazing_ speeches.”

“Byakuya, I-” Makoto paused, seemingly choked up, “You can be good!”

Now, _that_ was hilarious.

“Makoto, you are aware that I've done terrible things, right? I took your families, put you all here, and fraternized with you, while I plotted your deaths,” he paused, leaning forward, “And, the worst part is… _I don't even care._ ”

Byakuya knew that that wouldn’t be enough, and unsurprisingly Makoto gazed at him, hope in his eyes. “Byakuya, you don't have to do this! Maybe we haven't struggled like you have, and maybe we’ll never understand, but we can help you get through your pain,” he said, his eyes beginning to fill with tears, “ _I_ … can help you, Byakuya.”

Makoto stared at him, a pained look on his face, and tears in his eyes. And, for some reason, Byakuya couldn’t speak.

“Y-You may be cruel, but you're not heartless. You can fix this. You can help us rebuild,” Makoto smiled, his eyes fiery and warm, “I'll be there with you… every step of the way.”

Despite playing this circumstance over and over in his head, Byakuya hadn’t expected Makoto to be as certain as he was. Byakuya, for the first time in years was completely floored. And, it shocked him, almost more than Makoto’s words had.

Thrown off-guard, Byakuya put on a poker-face, taking a shallow breath, “Makoto… It's funny that you honestly think-”

But, he was interrupted before he could finish speaking. “No, that’s wrong!” Makoto shouted, cutting him off before he could even get back the upper-hand.

Who was he to usurp him? He was just another useless commoner. He meant nothing. Soon, Byakuya was fuming. A nobody would _not_ ruin this for him. Byakuya Togami was better. Byakuya Togami was smarter. Byakuya Togami was stronger.

“You're just an imbecile so delusional that you see hope in the hopeless! I will not give up all that I have worked for, just because of some empty words.”

Byakuya was hunched over on his podium, his hands in fists, and glared at Makoto. But, strangely the other boy seemed unaffected. Perhaps he even looked… more confident?

Makoto stared back, wiping his eyes, his stance proud. “Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just a dumb kid, but… my parents always told me that love can conquer all.”

Byakuya gasped, straightening and taking a step back. _“What?”_ he asked quietly his mouth suddenly dry.

And, Makoto smiled. “I'm not saying that I'm in love with you, but I'm saying that I _could_ be,” he said, suddenly looking determined, “You're wrong when you say you're hopeless, because I don't _think_ you can change, I _know_ you can.”

Makoto looked into his eyes, his cold blue eyes, and Byakuya froze. He didn’t know what to say.

But, Makoto did. “Byakuya, take my hand, and look at these people, these people who may hate you now, but with time, could be your greatest friends, if you just tried. If you didn't just give up and kill us all. That's not what a Togami would do.”

Unfortunately, however, Makoto had miscalculated. Snapping out of whatever trance he had been in, Byakuya shouted furiously, “How do you know what a Togami would do?”

Looking straight into his eyes again, Makoto said, softly, “Because I'm looking at one right now, and I know he'll make the right choice.”

Byakuya looked at him, eyes wide.

Makoto put out his hand, reaching out to him. “Take my hand, Byakuya, and let's get out of here.”

Byakuya was, for reasons he couldn’t understand, questioning everything. He looked at Makoto’s hand, and then his kind face, and into his warm green eyes. And, quickly he was speechless.

“It may be a bit broken, now, but there's a whole world out there, Byakuya, and there's a place for all of us in it,” Makoto continued, “I promise you that I will never give up on you. I care about you, Byakuya. That hasn't changed, just because you've done some bad stuff,” Makoto smiled his bright smile again, “You're just a kid, Byakuya, like all of us.”

Byakuya processed his words, breathing slowly.

But, though he was engrossed in Makoto, Byakuya noticed the clairvoyant, opening his mouth as if to say something. Likely, he intended to correct Makoto’s statement on them all being kids. However, before he got the chance, the detective (as Byakuya had always known) and the swimmer ran over to cover his mouth, stopping the outburst.

It was childish, and stupid, but proved Makoto’s point. They were _kids_.

Makoto looked over at them all, and smiled, laughing innocently, almost as if nothing were wrong. Byakuya found himself drawn to that laugh.

“We’re all just people, Byakuya. Things like levels, class, wealth… They don't have to matter. _You_ matter Byakuya. We all do. Don't give up hope,” Makoto smiled, again, moving his hand out farther, “Byakuya, take my hand.”

For a moment, Byakuya did nothing.

He just stared at them all. They were scared, but they were full of hope. They were angry, but mystified all the same. They… cared. Makoto cared.

And, maybe, just maybe, he cared about Makoto.

Frightened, for the first time in a long time, Byakuya walked over and grabbed Makoto’s hand.

But, when Makoto looked up at him with his hopeful eyes, his smile infectious and real, Byakuya knew he’d made the right choice.

**Author's Note:**

> Byakuya’s viewpoint was based on his in-games views of class/society, but mostly based off of Nagito’s thoughts on those born without talent. Also, notice that Byakuya only really gives names to those that matter to him. Everyone else was just their talent. Makoto had a name. Makoto was a person, to him. Really, he'd had a soft spot for him, all along. 
> 
> P.S. Sorry the last line kind of sounds like a line from one of my other fics.
> 
> P.P.S. Sorry I kind of went overboard on the italics.
> 
> Links: (feel free to contact me) (I take both art and fic requests, depending)  
> Tumblr- http://rockint765.tumblr.com  
> DeviantART- http://rockint765.deviantart.com


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